Honoring a Lifetime of Support

When Jon and Karen Huntsman made the first $10 million gift to establish a cancer institute at the University of Utah in 1995, the gift did not mark the beginning of their philanthropic efforts. Long before, they were committing resources—sometimes beyond their means—to support those who needed an extra lift. Through all of those years, Karen stood by Jon’s side with unwavering support. She was the unsung hero as he decided to make the eradication of cancer his life’s philanthropic work.

After the passing of Mr. Huntsman in February 2018, and to honor Karen’s steadfast support for her husband’s vision to create a world-class cancer institute in Utah, Huntsman Cancer Foundation (HCF) began a campaign to fund the Karen Haight Huntsman Presidential Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. In less than 12 weeks, $1.5 million was secured, due to the continued support of our amazing donors. On September 20, at the 2018 Huntsman Cancer Foundation Gala, the newly created endowed chair was announced.

This past month, Sheri Holmen, PhD, HCI cancer researcher and cancer survivor, was named the inaugural holder of the chair. Dr. Holmen has made pioneering contributions to advance our understanding of both melanoma and brain cancer. HCF congratulates Dr. Holmen on receiving this endowment as she is an integral member of our community and a key contributor to HCI’s core culture of the patient first, united effort, and excellence in all we do.

Through times of adversity and times of triumph, Karen Huntsman was by her husband’s side and remains committed to supporting this work today. Thank you to the individuals and organizations listed below for stepping up in such a profound way to honor her.